Japan Family Holiday

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

1. 1
   Day 1 · TokyoTokyo

   Arrive in Tokyo and meet your local leader and fellow families at a 5 pm hotel welcome meeting. If you get in early, explore the city at your own pace or join an optional Urban Adventures tour. There's also an optional group dinner at a local restaurant to try some of Tokyo's food scene.

2. 2
   Day 2 · TokyoTokyo

   Visit Sensoji, Tokyo's oldest Buddhist temple dating back 1300 years on the Sumida River's banks, then browse the quirky shopping street nearby. Afternoon is free to grab lunch or check out the manga market in Akihabara. Tonight, take a boat dinner through Tokyo Bay sampling monjayaki cooked on a sizzling hot plate as city lights sparkle around you.

3. 3
   Day 3 · TokyoTokyo

   Learn traditional calligraphy in Shinjuku with a local teacher, writing your name in Japanese. Lunch with the group, then head to Harajuku to explore Takeshita Street and try the area's famous crepes or 3D latte art. Finish in Shibuya at the world's busiest pedestrian crossing with free time for dinner or heading back to your hotel.

4. 4
   Day 4 · TokyoHakone

   Take your first shinkansen bullet train to Hakone, reaching speeds of 285 km/h with the memorable sight of white-gloved guards bowing to carriages. Hakone sits in Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park offering onsens, bush walks, lakes and Mt Fuji views. Tonight experience ryokan hospitality, sleeping on futons in tatami mat rooms.

5. 5
   Day 5 · HakoneHakone

   Ride a ropeway up Owakudani's volcanic valley for Mt Fuji views, then cruise Lake Ashinoko on a pirate ship-style boat. Visit the Karakuri Secret Box Museum to try solving hand-crafted puzzle boxes. Spend your free afternoon hiking Sengokuhara's grasslands or relaxing at Hakone's hot spring theme park with open-air onsens, cave baths and water slides.

6. 6
   Day 6 · HiroshimaHiroshima

   

   Catch another bullet train to Hiroshima. In the afternoon, visit the Genbaku Dome and Peace Memorial Park and Museum – sobering reminders of the August 1945 nuclear attack and monuments to peace. Consider trying okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake with customisable toppings like meat, seafood or vegetables, a Hiroshima speciality.

7. 7
   Day 7 · Miyajima IslandHiroshima

   Take a short ferry to Miyajima island to see Itsukushima Shrine's massive bright orange torii gate rising over the water. Wander Momiji Park or cable car up Mt Misen for panoramic views of the Inland Sea and spot the island's roaming deer. Back in Hiroshima, visit the five-storied Hiroshima Castle, originally built in the 1590s and reconstructed after wartime destruction.

8. 8
   Day 8 · HimejiKyoto

   Bullet train to Kyoto, stopping at Himeji Castle – Japan's grandest samurai castle surviving since the mid-16th century and restored to full glory in 2015. Explore the ingeniously designed moats, towers and walled alleyways that once protected 10,000 samurai families. Continue by train to Kyoto, then visit Nishiki-Koji Market in the downtown area in the afternoon.

9. 9
   Day 9 · KyotoKyoto

   Head to Fushimi Inari Shrine famous for its pathway lined with thousands of red torii gates, venturing beyond the crowded main section to quieter corners. Visit another of Kyoto's 17 UNESCO-listed temples or shrines to learn about the city's 1000-year role as imperial capital. Afternoon is free to catch a maiko performance, do a tea ceremony or try an obanzai traditional cooking class.

10. 10
    Day 10 · ArashiyamaKyoto

    Take a scenic boat cruise down the Hozu River in Arashiyama, spotting seasonal flora along the banks, then visit Tenryu-ji Temple near a famous photographed bamboo grove. Free time lets you take a rickshaw ride around the area in traditional garb or visit Toei Kyoto Studio Park, a theme park used for Edo period film shoots.

11. 11
    Day 11 · KyotoKyoto

    Spend the day exploring Kyoto however you like. Cycle the flat, well-maintained streets – the city is voted one of Asia's best for cycling. Follow the scenic Kamo River route stopping for bento lunch, or visit the Manga Museum, learn ramen-making, or get a complete kimono makeover to transform into a maiko or samurai lord.

12. 12
    Day 12 · KyotoKyoto

    Your family adventure ends after breakfast with no activities planned. Speak to your booking agent beforehand if you'd like to extend your stay with additional accommodation.

What's included

• Guide: All Intrepid Family trips are accompanied by one of our group leaders. The aim of the group leader is to assist your family to take the hassle out of your travels and help you have the best trip possible. Your leader will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for fun things to do and see - for both kids and parents, recommend great local eating venues that will even get the kids trying new things, and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. Our leaders are not babysitters on this trip - we leave that to you (the experts), but they will make sure that group members of all ages are able to explore their destination safely and with as much fun as possible. Our group leaders are not responsible for looking after children at any time and children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times throughout this itinerary.
• Meals: 11 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 3 dinners
• Activities: Tokyo - Sensoji Temple Tokyo - Monjayaki Dinner on Boat Tokyo – Harajuku walk Tokyo - Japanese & Calligraphy lesson Hakone - Lake Ashinoko boat cruise Hakone - Cable car/Ropeway Hakone – Karakuri Secret Box Museum Hiroshima – Peace Park and A-Bomb Dome Hiroshima - Miyajima Island Himeji - Himeji Castle Kyoto - Nishiki-Koji Market Kyoto - Gion District walk Kyoto - Fushimi Inari Shrine Kyoto - Arashiyama sightseeing Kyoto - Tenryuji Temple Gardens (additional JPY300 to visit the temple) Kyoto - Hozu River boat ride
• Transport: Bullet Train, Train, Cable car, Taxi, Tram
• Accommodation: GENERAL ROOMING CONFIGURATIONS: Family of two - All family groupings of two will be put into a twin room. Family of three - Wherever possible we will put you in a triple room. Please be aware that in a handful of places triple rooms are in short supply. This means that, in practice, a triple room will often simply be a twin room with a mattress on the floor or a further bed squashed in. Where it is impossible to provide a triple room, you will have to decide which of your party takes the single room. Family of four or more - You will most likely stay in two twin rooms. If and wherever possible we will aim put you in a quadruple room. Whilst we will do our very best to ensure that families are roomed close together (in some cases, we can arrange adjoining rooms), we can’t guarantee this. Most family holidays occur during peak season and we sometimes have little to no control over where you will be put. You need to come prepared for this., RYOKANS : & MINSHUKUS: Japanese-style accommodation - ryokans or minshukus (traditional inn/guesthouse) involve sleeping on futons or matresses on tatami mat floors, with bedding often packed away during the day. Attached bathrooms/toilets will usually be very small and many will only have shared bathing facilities with certain hours, or times available for booking at reception. Your leader will explain etiquette involved in using the shared facilities. As this style of accommodation will often not have furniture (ie. chairs or beds) in the rooms, please consider choosing a different trip style in Japan if you have difficulty getting up from the floor or have knee, hip or back issues. Some establishments may have a curfew when travellers need to be back in the accommodation - this is usually around midnight. Please also be aware that you would normally be required to change to slippers when entering into your room in such properties. Extra fees will be charged if dirty marks are left on their beddings or towels that require professional cleaning. Some of such properties will only give 1 key for each room so you can leave the key at the reception so that you and your roommate won't have to conform to the same schedule when you are out exploring. Hotels (9 nights), Ryokan (2 nights)

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